Monday, October 17, 2016

Swan Lake

I have so many lovely things I want to blog about, that it's actually kind of crazy. I've been having some fun crafty adventures, including finally getting back to making historic costumes, in between all the school madness that is ongoing. But first, I want to post about a few skirts I made over the past. . . Wow, I guess it's been almost a year for at least one of these!

I'll start with a whimsical skirt I made to go see the Boston Ballet perform Swan Lake this past spring. I had this fabulous Michael Miller Swan Lake themed border print in my stash, and thought it would be fun to make a skirt from it for this outing. I just wanted a simple, box-pleated skirt, so I didn't bother using a pattern. Although I'm very happy with my pleating and the look of the skirt when laid flat, once it was on my body, I felt huuuuuuuge! I was at my heaviest and feeling very bad about my body, but I was also sick of "saving" my nice fabric and not making anything for me because of feeling bad about my weight. I knew this skirt would look ridiculous on me because I'm already short-waisted, but when I'm carrying extra weight, it's even worse. And also, I don't like my skirts too short, so between the waist placement and the length needed for me to be comfortable, the skirt came out looking proportionally ridiculous - as I knew it would! I'm glad I went for it though, because I had fun wearing the skirt, and got a lot of complements. (And side note: I've since joined Weight Watchers and have been steadily losing weight while gaining energy and a healthier lifestyle! I'm feeling quite good about myself now, and looking forward to reworking this skirt to suit my new body!)



The ballet itself was positively sublime! I love going to the ballet in general, because it's like a vacation from life for a couple of hours. You just get totally swept up in something that is nothing but beautiful for both the eyes and ears, and for those couple of hours, I don't think about all the things I have to do, or how ridiculous my job is, or how stressed out about school I am. . . I just enjoy being part of a totally magical, fantastical moment. Swan Lake is my favorite because I am completely in love with the music, and the costumes for this ballet were perfection.



The pin I'm wearing is from "Deer Arrow," a company with a terrible choice of name (don't google images to see their pins unless you don't care about seeing how cruel people can be to animals), but beautiful pins. I thought it was the perfect accessory for my ensemble!



The Boston Opera House is stunning. We got there a little early, allowing us time to wander around and be in total awe of the beauty of the place, to admire all the quirky little corners, and marvel at the beautiful fireplaces and other architectural details.







The ballet itself was absolute perfection. I was replaying it my head and humming it for days! I don't often go to see a ballet, but every time I do, I remember how much I love it, and that I should do it more often!

As an added bonus, we ran into the new-ish Poe statue! I'd been wanting to see it, and I'm especially happy we saw it at night, because it looked appropriately gothic!

6 comments:

  1. Fun outing and skirt! I'm glad to hear you're feeling better about yourself since you made the skirt. I hope that trend continues!

    Best,
    Quinn

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  2. Wow, what a wonderful skirt. Perfect for Swan Lake, and just a cute novelty print in general. Looks great on you.

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  3. What a lovely skirt, and I'm glad you're in a better headspace. I know exactly what you mean about going to the ballet. I went all the time when I lived in London, but here in Sydney it's a handful of times. Each time I tell myself that I must go more often (but time drifts and I forget why I go).

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    1. Thank you so much! I am the same way, in that I am always telling myself I should go more often but somehow it never seems to happen. It's kind of a hassle for me to get into the city, so that's certainly a part of it!

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